Reb Yaakov's Torah Scroll

An inspiring true story of dedication and renewal.

Movies about religious Jews tend to make me uncomfortable. No matter how enjoyable they are I usually find that we or our faith are misrepresented. There is no better example of this thanThe Frisco Kid, the Gene Wilder film about a Polish rabbi who comes to America to lead a congregation in San Francisco. His adventurous travels across the continent make for quite an entertaining comedy. There are, however, misrepresentations galore.

Throughout Jewish history, there are many heroic stories of Torah scrolls being rescued.

In my opinion, the biggest one is when the rabbi, along with his Torah scroll, is kidnapped by Indians. The chief asks him, "If I give you back Torah, will you purify your soul through fire?" The rabbi answers, "Yes." As he is lowered into the flames, the chief makes another offer. "If I let you go, may I keep Torah?" The rabbi answers, "No." Impressed with his devotion, the chief has the fire doused and all is well.

While saving a Torah scroll is of course a very heroic deed, it is not something that Jewish law requires one to give up his life for. Yet throughout Jewish history, there are many heroic stories of Torah scrolls being rescued -- some of which could make as exciting a movie as The Frisco Kid.

One of these rescued scrolls stands in a place of honor in the living room of my neighbor, Rabbi Yaakov. High on the bookcase, covered with a velvet mantle with a gold-threaded inscription, it gives a special aura to the room. Here is its inspiring story.

Buried in Romania

Years ago in Romania, my neighbor's grandfather, Yaakov Ben Shaul, was a wealthy landowner with an estate full of prosperous fields and orchards, and a winery with which he supported his healthy family. In order to thank the Almighty for all the good He had given him, he pledged to have a Torah scroll written. Reb Yaakov searched for a God-fearing, holy scribe with an excellent reputation to do the task. The scribe he found was a poor man with a large family. Reb Yaakov convinced him to come live on his estate -- with his wife and children -- where he would be supported for a full year. The scribe was given a house, furnishings, food, and all else that he needed for that year. On the estate was a mikveh, and every day before he began writing, the scribe would immerse himself, in order to have the purest body and soul before writing the sacred scroll. He would even return to immerse every time he had to write the name of God.

When the Torah was completed there was no big celebration. A modest man, Reb Yaakov quietly brought it to the synagogue, and there it stayed until the winds of World War II came to Romania. When the residents of the town were being rounded up for the ghetto, Reb Yaakov's son Shaul made a decision. The Torah scroll was very dear to his family and he did not want it destroyed. So he wrapped it well, dug a deep hole, and buried it the ground.

Like all Holocaust survivors, the Torah scroll had not survived without some scars.

Reb Yaakov, Shaul, and the rest of their extended family -- spouses, children, parents and siblings -- all left for the ghetto. On the way, Reb Yaakov died of a broken heart full of sorrow for the Jewish people. Shaul spent the next four years in work camps and in Siberia. When he finally made his way back home, he discovered that he was the only one of his large family who had survived, he and the Torah scroll.

He quickly located the hiding spot, dug down and found the Torah scroll. Yet like all the Holocaust survivors, the Torah scroll had not survived without some scars. Although it had been rolled up and covered, dampness had seeped in. In the section of the parchment they had last read (ironically from the portion Acharei Mot -- "after the death") the letters had faded, rendering the scroll no longer usable according to Jewish law. It would need to be repaired before it could be used again.

Somehow, Shaul was able to reclaim much of his father's wealth, but that did not solve the problem of finding a scribe in Romania who had survived the Nazi inferno. So he kept the Torah at home, waiting for the time when he would find a scribe who could repair his beloved scroll.

Either leave for Israel within four hours, taking only 15 pounds of belongings, or stay in Romania forever.

In the meantime, Shaul remarried and had a daughter. He and his wife longed to leave Romania for Israel, but the Communist regime would not allow it. One day, though, an important official summoned Shaul to his office and offered two choices: Either give the government all his wealth and leave for Israel within four hours taking only 15 pounds of belongings with him, or alternatively stay in Romania forever. Shaul did not hesitate nor even ask his wife's opinion. He immediately signed the necessary forms and hurried home to pack.

There was not much to pack -- just some baby clothes and, of course, the Torah scroll. But the Torah scroll itself weighed more than 15 pounds. Shaul had a solution. He removed the beautiful silver-gilded handles from the Torah, which brought the scroll -- along with the baby clothes -- down to the required weight. Without looking back, they left Romania behind.

Restoration and Renewal

They arrived in Haifa in 1950 with nothing more than some baby clothes, the Torah scroll, and the clothes on their backs. They were sent to a refugee camp near Kiryat Ata. The once-wealthy land owner now struggled to support his family as a day laborer. There was barely enough income to feed his family which had grown with two more children, another girl and a baby boy -- named for Shaul's father, Yaakov. Although there were many scribes in Israel who could fix the Torah, Shaul had no money to pay them. It sat in the closet and waited and waited.

As little Yaakov grew, his father longed to have the Torah scroll repaired in time for his son's Bar Mitzvah. Somehow he scraped together enough money together and found a scribe who indeed restored the Torah in time for Yaakov's 13th birthday. Instead of a party, Yaakov's parents held a celebration for the Torah scroll. And unlike the time his father had quietly placed the Torah into the synagogue with no fanfare, Shaul invited the entire community of Kiryat Ata to the occasion. There were thousands of people, rabbis, torches and dancing. In spite of the joy, there were many tears, for the Torah scroll had become a symbol of the survivors. For many years, it was lovingly read in the synagogue in Kiryat Ata.

Yaakov grew, married, and became a rabbi. When his family decided to make their home in Shilo, his father insisted that they take the Torah with them. It was used for several years and then, the exposure to the damp Romanian soil caught up with the special Torah scroll. The letters faded and it was no longer possible to fix it.

Although the letters may have faded, they are not lost.

Yaakov knew that the Torah scroll was like part of his family, so he brought it to his house, removed its handles, and set it on the shelf in a place of honor. When each of his six sons learned their Bar Mitzvah portion, this Torah scroll was brought down and the boys did their final review from it. Then it was returned to its shelf but not forgotten. Rav Yaakov states emphatically that although the letters may have faded, they are not lost. The Torah of Reb Yaakov, of blessed memory, has jumped off the parchment and into the hearts of his descendents.

No, one does not sacrifice his life for a Torah scroll. On the contrary, the Torah infuses our lives with meaning and purpose. It is the symbol of Jewish survival, continuity, renewal and pride. It is, in the words of Proverbs 3:18, a tree of life for all who grasp it.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 5

(5)
Judith Zvaig,
August 21, 2009 10:46 AM

Moving, thanks for sharing this

My eyes didn't end up dry either.

(4)
Miriam,
August 19, 2009 4:50 PM

Thank you

Many times I get tears in my eyes when I'm reading Aish articles but never but now did I start sobbing out loud as when I came to the end of your article. Thank you.

(3)
,
August 16, 2009 11:26 PM

What a heart moving story. My distant cousin is a scribe in B'Nai Brak. I would hope that he has the opportunity to do such holy work as repairing a Torah such as this.

(2)
Lenore,
August 16, 2009 11:13 PM

Such an inspirational story for you to read.

What a wonderful story! Thank you.

(1)
Aviva,
August 16, 2009 2:51 PM

what a beautiful legacy

The Torah is the centerpiece of our lives. It imbues those who cling to it with the values that Hashem intended us to value and pursue. The frum DNA that the Zaida had transferred to his son and then his grandson. Indeed what a beautiful legacy. This is what has sustained the jewish people up until now and will continue to sustain us.
As role models it is incumbent upon us to teach our children about our history and transfer the mesorah to them so they may carry it foward.

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I want to know about the concept of "sin" due to Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of Knowledge. The Christian concept of sin revolves around the fall of the man and the "original sin." Does Judaism view it the same way?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Adam and Eve were punished according to their actions. In other words, God laid down the conditions for Adam and Eve to live in the garden, provided they would not eat from the Tree of Knowledge. However, if they were to eat from that tree they would be punished by experiencing death. (If they had not eaten from the tree, they would have remained immortal.)

This sets down the basic principle in Judaism of Reward and Punishment. Basic to this is that every person has the choice of doing good or bad. When a person chooses "good" – as defined by God – he is able to draw close to God. In other words, every individual has a chance to "gain salvation" through his own actions.

My understanding of Christianity, however, is that the Original Sin has infected all of mankind to the point where individuals are incapable of achieving salvation through their own initiative. Man is "totally depraved" and therefore his only hope of salvation is through the cross.

This belief is contrary to the teachings of Judaism. From the Torah perspective, an individual does not need to rely on anyone else to atone for them. In Judaism, sins can be "erased" altogether by sincere repentance and a firm resolution never to repeat the mistakes.

For more on this, read "Their Hollow Inheritances" by Michael Drazin – www.drazin.com

Yahrtzeit of Moses in 1273 BCE (Jewish year 2488), on the same day of his birth 120 years earlier. (Consequently, "May you live to 120" has become a common Jewish blessing.) Moses was born in Egypt at a time when Pharaoh had decreed that all Jewish baby boys be drowned in the Nile River. His mother set him afloat in a reed basket, where he was -- most ironically -- discovered by Pharaoh's daughter and brought to Pharaoh's palace to be raised. When Moses matured, his heart turned to aid the Jewish people; he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Jew, and he fled to Midian where he married and had two sons. God spoke to Moses at the Burning Bush, instructing him to return to Egypt and persuade Pharaoh to "let My people go." Moses led the Jews through the ten plagues, the Exodus, and the splitting of the Red Sea. Seven weeks later, the Jews arrived at Mount Sinai and received the Torah, the only time in human history that an entire nation experienced Divine revelation. Over the next 40 years, Moses led the Jews through wanderings in the desert, and supervised construction of the Tabernacle. Moses died before being allowed to enter the promised Land of Israel. He is regarded as the greatest prophet of all time.

Lack of gratitude is at the root of discontent. In order to be consistently serene, we must master the attribute of being grateful to the Creator for all His gifts. As the Torah (Deuteronomy 26:11) states, "Rejoice with all the good the Almighty has given you." This does not negate our wanting more. But it does mean that we have a constant feeling of gratitude since as long as we are alive, we always have a list of things for which to be grateful.

[Just before Moses' death] God said to him, "This is the Land that I promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (Deuteronomy 34:4).

The Midrash says that Moses pleaded to live long enough to be able to enter the Promised Land. He surrendered his soul only after God instructed him to enter Heaven and inform the Patriarchs that the Israelites had come to their Land and that God had indeed fulfilled His promise to give the Land of Israel to their descendants. To fulfill God's will was dearer to Moses than his craving to enter the Land.

It is only natural to cling to life, and the thought of leaving this world is depressing. However, if a person develops the attitude that he lives only in order to fulfill God's will, then life and death are no longer polar opposites, because he lives to do the will of God, and when that will requires that he leave this world, he will be equally obedient.

The seventh day of Adar is the anniversary of Moses' death. He wanted to enter the Promised Land so that he could fulfill the commandments and thereby have a new opportunity to fulfill the Divine wish. He surrendered his soul willingly when he was told that there was a special commandment for him to perform, one that could only be achieved after leaving this earth.

We refer to Moses as Rabbeinu, our teacher. He not only taught us didactically, but by means of everything he did in his life - and by his death, as well.

Today I shall...

try to dedicate my life to fulfilling the will of God, so that even when that will contradicts my personal desires, I can accept it with serenity.

With stories and insights,
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